Rebounding and ball-handling deficient in 88-83 exhibition loss

Mavericks feast on second-chance points to defeat Bulls

DALLAS — When the Bulls make their home exhibition debut Friday night against the Wizards, they will stare directly at two reminders of current struggles.

Carlos Boozer, cast on his fractured right fifth metacarpal, is expected to attend and will remind all of the post presence the Bulls lack yet again, not to mention his rebounding ability.

And Kirk Hinrich, no doubt an odd sight in a visitor's jersey, will lessen ball-handling duties on Wizards rookie John Wall instead of Derrick Rose like he did the last two seasons.

Those areas — post scoring, a secondary ball-handler and rebounding — once again were mostly absent Thursday night in the Bulls' 88-83 loss to the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

Though Taj Gibson fared better than in Tuesday's opener in Milwaukee and Joakim Noah delivered a strong effort with 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists, the Bulls couldn't overcome a 54-34 rebounding deficit and 25 Mavericks' second-chance points.

"We're small," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "So we have to gang rebound. If we can't do that, we won't be successful. We can't leak out. We have guys taking off early trying to get on the break. They need to get in the fight first."

"We were inside-out and made good, quick decisions," Thibodeau said. "The ball movement was better. But we still have to get the ball in the paint more."

Having a sure-handed ball-handler other than Rose would help. And thus far, nobody has emerged to fill Hinrich's void in that department.

"It's going to be weird playing against him," Rose said. "He put me under his wing."

C.J. Watson sat with a sore left quadriceps against the Mavericks and struggled in that role Tuesday against the Bucks with four turnovers. John Lucas, who took Watson's minutes Thursday, missed his first six shots and is merely a role player if he makes the roster.

"I don't think I played well in Milwaukee," Watson said. "But it's the first preseason game so I'm not worried. I'm comfortable in a ball-handling role though."

Rose finished with 17 points and Keith Bogans added 10, including sinking his first three 3-pointers.

Even without Boozer, the Bulls led the league in rebounding last season.

"Just for the psyche of the team, it's a problem," Noah said. "When teams are getting second and third opportunities, they get confidence. So we have to eliminate that."